Kishi Bashi returns for a double blast of Hampton Roads

Kishi Bashi wants to make sure there are no hard feelings, Hampton Roads.

"I hope they're not mad that I moved to Athens," the musician said, referring to his local fans. He recently relocated from his hometown of Norfolk to that artsy Georgia college town.

"I come back a lot to Hampton Roads. I have roots there and I have friends there, so don't take it personally," he said, with a nervous chuckle. "But moving was a great decision as far as helping my second album. Now, I can comfortably make my album without having to be away from my family."

In truth, the musician known off-stage as Kaoru Ishibashi has been rambling for years, ever since he graduated from Maury High School in Norfolk. The violinist, singer and experimental songwriter studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, then set up shop in New York City for a long period.

Unable to fully ignite his career there, he returned to Norfolk in 2011, moved back in with his parents and recorded a solo album that's won him attention around the globe. He returns to his home turf next week for shows in Virginia Beach and Norfolk.

His debut disc "151a" attracted rave reviews in the rock underground and also from mainstream sites such as NPR's "All Songs Considered." More importantly, it got people talking about his mind-bending solo performances featuring an unusual, artful blend of looping, violin, singing and human beat boxing.

"Kishi Bashi was left off our list of 2012's Best New Artist," a writer for the website Stereogum lamented. "The dude got my vote, based almost entirely on his live show ... It was an otherworldly, elevating performance. Since then, he's kinda blown up."

All of which sets the stage for a new Kishi Bashi album.

"There are studios I work out of here," he said, speaking from his new home in Athens. "The engineers I work with, the musicians I borrow are here. My T-shirt manufacturer is here. It kind of makes sense. But it's also the cost of living. I was able to buy a really large house in a great neighborhood [in Athens]. I was able to build a studio in it. In Norfolk, my studio was in my parents' attic and we were living in a small apartment downtown," said the 37-year-old husband and father.

"It always felt dysfunctional, a little bit ... I wanted to focus on my second album this year in an environment where I would be working at home."

He bought a house just down the street from Kevin Barnes, the leader of the indie rock band Of Montreal, with whom Ishibashi has played as a touring member. Barnes and other members of the Of Montreal circle are contributing to his new album, which he hopes will see light of day in the Spring.

"My new album has a lot of drums on it," he said. "It's really upbeat. It may be a little less orchestral, but it's got a lot of violins on it, obviously. It's pretty hard hitting. It's not a rock 'n' roll album, but it's more along the lines of that kind of songwriting. It's happy, fun."

At the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach next week, he'll employ a full band, featuring banjo player Mike Savino, a bass player, and, most significantly, a drummer.

"I realized playing these festivals that if you have a drummer, it brings energy to a whole 'nother level," he said. "Beat boxing is cool, but it doesn't compare to live drums. A real musician hitting a bunch of boxes, it adds this whole element of extra excitement. I want a taste of that."